You are celebrating the 25th anniversary since you have moved into your house. Your family and friends have gathered in your beautiful dining room. There’s a load of food laid out on the table. Everyone is admiring the beautiful teak wood furniture you have maintained so well.
Between all this happiness, while you raise your toast, a drop of water falls into your glass. You look up to see where it is coming from. Then there are a few more drops falling from different parts. Your roof has apparently given away and is now leaking.
You now realize that it’s been 25 years since you have paid any attention to your roof!
Common Signs That Your Roof Needs Replacement
Careful maintenance of your house is important in making sure it provides you safe shelter each and every year, all year round. Overlooking vital aspects like your roof can one day lead to disastrous results. Not only will the fix take time but it will also be very costly.
The danger you could be putting yourself and your family in if the roof does fall down can be fatal. But this doesn’t mean that you have to get your roof inspected by a batch of professionals every month.
While you can indeed call in professionals at least twice a year to look for any signs of roof damage, at the same time, you can look for the obvious signs, which can be seen from the ground. By checking for the common signs regularly, you will know if there are any urgent repairs needed and figure out when your roof needs to be replaced.
Your roof is nearing the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced if it shows any of the below symptoms:
Roof Leaks
One of the most obvious signs that your roof needs to be replaced is when you notice leaks. If you have an attic, then you might miss this sign. For this purpose, make it a point to check for leaks regularly in the attic. A good time to do so is right after it has rained.
Inspect closely for any signs of water intrusion. The most severe kind of leaks are more likely to happen there. If it snows where you live, you will need to check the roof from outside for ice dams. These ice dams may melt slowly and the water will start leaking through the shingles.
If you notice that the leak is confined to only a certain space on your roof, you may not need a complete replacement. However, getting professional advice from roofers is recommended to ensure what the next steps should be.
Different Types of Growth
Anything that is growing on your roof is not a good sign! Check your roof to see if there is any mold or mildew growing. If you do notice it, then this could either be a sign of a leaky roof, condensation problems, or even just a plumbing issue. So make sure to check those before going for roof repair.
The different types of growth that appear on your roof will have different types of consequences. Algae is a black and green-colored organism that will eat away the shingles on the roof. Eventually, it will cause the roof to rot.
Mold growth can cause health issues. It is easy to identify the growth of mold that brings in a repugnant odor. Moss growth has a forest-green and fuzzy texture. Though it sometimes can bring an attractive visual appeal to your roof, it can also cause wood and shingles to rot.
Mildew is one of the most dangerous fungi that can grow on your roof. It usually appears on wet surfaces and is very harmful to your health. It spreads very fast especially if there is inadequate drainage on your roof.
Cracks On The Roof
Strong winds can lead to cracks in the shingles on your roof. When the cracks are limited to a few shingles, then replacing just those is easy and an economical solution. All the same, if the cracks appear to be very dispersed randomly all over the roof, then there are warning signs you need a new roof.
Once the cracks start appearing in a widespread manner, it is recommended to replace your roof within 4 to 6 months. One way to look for cracks in the roof is to go to the attic of any room that the roof covers, pull down the drapes, and switch off the lights.
If there is any light coming in then it is a sign that there are holes or cracks in the roof. Consult with a professional roofer to understand if you need to only repair the cracks or the entire roof needs to be replaced.
Rotting Roof
A rotting roof is a sign of serious structural issues in your house. As the wood on the roof is exposed to moisture for a longer period of time, the fungus growth will increase. This will eventually lead to the deterioration of the structure of the house.
The sooner you identify the rotting on the roof, the lesser the damage will be. There are some tell-tale signs that your roof is rotting. From the ground, using binoculars, look to see if there are any gaps in the shingles.
If there are water stains that appear on your ceiling, then this is the result of a roof leak that will then lead to rotting if overlooked for a prolonged time. The growth of mold or any other fungi in the attic is another sign.
Get Professional Help
Many a time, people take it upon themselves to fix the roof or use rookie roofers, only to save a few bucks. But when the roof is not made by professionals, it will get damaged or fall sooner than expected.
You will then spend more money to get it repaired again. In case anyone around you is physically hurt due to the damaged roof, that will be financially as well as emotionally draining for you.
Save yourself money, time, and risks! Click To Call professional roofers who guarantee you safety in your house!